1987 Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

10th March 202518th February 2025

Breakfast Club on Nova Power 103 FM

This is a snippet from the Breakfast Club on the short-lived Nova Power 103 FM, a merger of the ‘new’ Radio Nova and existing Dublin pirate Energy 103 in late 1987. Sounding crisp and professional are Cassidy Jones, Lisa Moore (Fionnuala Sweeney) and Bob Gallico (RIP) with a mixture of music, chat, papers, sports and news. On a freezing Friday morning in Dublin, Bob Gallico presents the review of the papers and shares his racing tips for the day, while Lisa reads news. The familiar high-level adverts are heard, including for brands, and the classic Nova jingles are played, creating something of an identity problem as they differ from the station’s name. Although Nova founder Chris Cary had promised new jingles on the day the merger was announced (25^th November), there was not enough time to complete the imaging of the new station as it was promptly prevented by an interlocutory injunction from using the valuable Nova name, and eventually reverted to Energy Power 103, as in the image above.

This recording was made by Kieran Murray between 0728-0748 on 27^th November 1987 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. It is not clear if it was made from 99.9 or 103 FM.

3rd March 202517th February 2025

Chris Cary interviewed on new Nova Power 103 FM

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After testing for several days, at midnight on 9^th November 1987, a new station began broadcasting continuous CD music on 100 FM in Dublin. On 18^th November, the station announced itself as the ‘New Radio Nova’, rocking the Dublin pirate scene as it approached its final golden year of 1988. It was an ironic coincidence that the Minister for Communications, Ray Burke, published his new Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Bill and Sound Broadcasting Bill the following day, 19^th November, aimed at closing down the pirates and introducing licensed local radio. On 25^th November came another dramatic announcement as existing station Energy 103 announced that it was merging with the new Radio Nova in light of the impending broadcasting legislation. The merged station was called Nova Power 103 FM and founder of the original Nova, Chris Cary (RIP), was involved, ostensibly as a consultant. This was to the consternation of many in Dublin who had been burned by Cary’s brash managerial style, particularly advertisers who lost money after the collapse of the station in 1986 and journalists and their union involved in the bitter industrial relations dispute with Nova.

In line with the new legislation, Nova Power 103 promised plenty of news and current affairs and revived the Dublin Today programme that was aired on the original Radio Nova. However, the new name was short-lived, when the receiver of Nova Media Services, Pearse Farrell, sought an interlocutory injunction preventing use of the Nova brand. According to Peter Mulryan in Radio Radio (1988), Farrell was also concerned about some activities of the bankrupt company and did not want to allow Cary to use the high-profile Nova name with licences in the offing. Within a few weeks, Nova Power 103 had reverted to Energy 103, which continued to broadcast until 11^th March 1988.

This recording of Nova Power 103 was made on its first day and features an interview with Chris Cary on the Dublin Today programme, discussing his plans for the new station. Presenters of Dublin Today are Sybil Fennell and Teena Gates, and news at 1900 is read by Lisa Moore (Fionnuala Sweeney, who would later join RTÉ and CNN). The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 100 FM between 1850-1905 on 25^th November 1987.

22nd November 202419th November 2024

Overnight Sunshine 101 from 1987

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Following its rebranding in 1986, Sunshine Radio became the biggest station in Dublin, a position that it held until its closedown at the end of 1988. Renamed Sunshine 101, the changes ushered in by US radio consultant Bill Cunningham included the end of many specialist shows and a shift from a community feel to a successful commercial operation.

This recording is of a live overnight show from spring 1987 hosted by Phil Hilton. There are few adverts as would be expected for the time of night but a promo for the BIg Kahuna competition is aired. The Big Kahuna allowed someone to become a DJ for the day and launched a few radio careers. News at 0206 is read by Joyce Jackson – one of the aspects of the rebranding was to move news bulletins away from the top of the hour slot.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 100.5 FM on Tuesday 28^th April 1987 between 0131-0217. Audio is generally good but there is some wobble at the start due to cassette degradation.

29th October 202429th October 2024

Border series: History of Donegal station WABC

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Today we begin a new series of the history of the Donegal pirate station WABC with the assistance of our friend and long-time watcher of the Irish radio scene, Ian Biggar. WABC was a successful station that was on air over three separate periods before and after the introduction of legislation that aimed to silence pirate radio in the Republic of Ireland. WABC first broadcast from September 1987 until the end of December 1988, closing down along with the vast majority of other stations. It returned to the airwaves in June 1989 and continued until April 1991. A final spell of broadcasting occurred for a few months in 2001. The station operator was Paul Barnett (RIP), known on air as Paul Burbank or Paul Bentley, who had a background in land-based pirates in the UK. Paul moved with his Irish-born wife Krissi to Coleraine and set up WABC and both were heard regularly on the station. Following the demise of WABC, Paul took over the ownership of another long-running Donegal pirate, Radio North, which continues to broadcast to this day.

The Anoraks UK Weekly Report of 6^th September 1987 reported that WABC had been heard testing on 106 FM and that AM was due to follow. The station was based at Inishowen Head and was beaming its signal into Northern Ireland. WABC began regular broadcasts on 16^th September on 106 FM only. The Weekly Report of 1^st November referred to ‘WABC – the Hot 107’ following a frequency change and noted that the station was being received well in Blackpool despite the distance, due to a high location for the transmitter. A PO box in Coleraine in Co. Derry was given as the contact address.

The Weekly Report of 8^th November again noted WABC and commented that they ‘must certainly have appealed to young people with their fast disco/Top 40 format and dozens of jingles (all old favourites chopped up, but nice, nevertheless, to hear again). Advertisers were urged to contact the station without delay, and we feel sure that they will be doing just this. It would be interesting to know how far the station is penetrating into Ireland, with a listenable (marketable) signal’. On 6^th December, Anoraks UK noted that WABC was also audible in Blackpool on 1242 kHz once Radio Merseywaves was off the air. The 20^th December 1987 edition of Weekly Report noted that the AM transmitter had an output of 500w but that the aerial was inefficient, while the 107 FM transmitter was running about 350w from a site 4 miles east of Moville. It also noted a new channel of 98 FM in use with just 50w but plans to increase the signal to 1kW. Paul Barnett was quoted as saying that selling ads was not easy due to fierce competition but that a sizeable audience had been built up after just a few months on air. At this time, WABC was operating from 0700-0100 every day with an ‘all hits – no country’ policy aimed at the 15-35 age group.

Our first recording of WABC was made on high ground in East Ayrshire in Scotland and due to the distance from the TX site, includes some fading. The station had recently come on air and was broadcasting from a mobile home near Malin Head. Some adverts are heard for businesses in Derry and Antrim and DJ Dougie Dee plays a hangman competition on air with plenty of phone entries. The tape was made from 1852-1940 from 107 FM on 29^th October 1987 and is courtesy of DX Archive.

20th September 202415th September 2024

Love songs at drivetime on Cara 95

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Cara 95 was a temporary name given to the Dublin love songs station Heartbeat FM (1986-1988). Rebranded as Cara in 1987, the change was shortlived as listeners prefered the original title. The diet of love songs proved popular even in the crowded Dublin radio market and Heartbeat had built up a loyal following by its closure at the end of 1988. It returned as a pirate in the 1990s, subsequently broadcast under a temporary licence and continues today online.

This recording of Cara 95 features the evening drivetime show presented by Eamonn Kelly, formerly heard on Cork station ERI and Dublin station Q102. There are adverts for local businesses but not a huge amount for the time of day, perhaps reflecting waning popularity due to the name change. The show includes traffic updates, a holiday magazine slot and a mystery movie competition. News is read by Maurice Nevin (RIP). Of note is the reference to ‘digital stereo on CD’, reflecting the growing popularity of the compact disk at the time.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 95.5 FM on Thursday 1^st October 1987 from 1620-1751.